Five people were burnt to death in a motorcycle garage by rioters last Sunday, taking the death toll in the riots to 18, the Tibet Autonomous Regional Bureau of Public Security said Saturday.

The police found five bodies in the garage in Dagze County of Lhasa at 12:14 AM Thursday, said the bureau. They found the garage's folding door had been damaged by rioters, and one of the valves of two gas cylinders inside had been opened.

The dead were identified as a married couple from central China's Henan Province, two male employees and a baby girl less than one year old.

Police said they died on Sunday, March 16, at 10 PM.

Unrest broke out in the Tibetan capital on March 14.

At least 18 civilians and one police officer have been confirmed killed in the unrest, which also saw 382 injuries. Damage is estimated at more than 244 million yuan (about 34.59 million US dollars).

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2008)